Boyfriend or Fiance?

[Caladan 19]

I would say "fiancee" over "boyfriend", if you say anything, mostly because it gives you the follow-up "yes, sir, we are planning to file the K-1 (or whatever) soon" option.

But "going on a vacation" is just fine, too. No particular need to volunteer anything. And no nerves! In both of our experiences, Calgary is so busy and full of tourists that they're pretty easygoing.

[Bern. 3]

I hate nerves They ALWAYS get the better of me. But I just told him, to call me his girlfriend and to NOT say fiancee. I will smack him. I'm just such a nervous person. I was fine the first 2 trips there, and then I discovered VisaJourney. ! I'm just paranoid...so now I tend to avoid this site before trips LOL

[Brad and Vika 129]

Why not stick with shopping as the reason, and avoid the whole problem?

[minnew 4]

I hate nerves They ALWAYS get the better of me. But I just told him, to call me his girlfriend and to NOT say fiancee. I will smack him. I'm just such a nervous person. I was fine the first 2 trips there, and then I discovered VisaJourney. ! I'm just paranoid...so now I tend to avoid this site before trips LOL

I always get the 20 questions too, but its always at land borders, I am going through the airport next month! I think some of it is because we look young I am in my early 20's as well. Like someone else said saying "fiance" gives you the opportunity to state you intentions to apply for legal immigration into the US. The last time I went through I was asked about it and I said yes we just applied for the petition for the k-1 visa. He then asked what embassy I would be going through and I told him. He seemed pleased with the answers and let me through. Anyways, good luck with your trip!

[Flames9_RN 358]

1) Always tell the TRUTH. never lie to the POE officer

2) Be confident in ur replies

3)keep ur response short and to the point, dont tell ur life story!!

4) look the POE officer in the eye when speaking to them. They are looking for people lieing and have been trained to find them!

5)pack light! No job resumes with you

6) Bring ties to Canada (letter from employer when ur expected back at work, lease, etc etc)

7) Always be polite, being rude isnt going to get ya anywhere, and could make things worse!!

8) have a plan in case u do get denied (be polite) It wont harm ur visa application if ur denied,that is if ur polite and didnt lie! Refer to #1

Many times they would ask me "business or pleasure?" So I would say something like "pleasure, returning to canada on march 5" And normally that was about it!! As stated above, be confident in your response, and look them in their eye, or at them, don't be all fidgety!! Keep it short and sweet to the point. And tell the truth! Much easier to remember the truth than a lie! So if you do get pulled aside for further questions, you wont be back peddling!! You lie and they catch ya, and if they are in a crappy mood they ban you! Were as if u tell the truth, be polite, they wil most likely allow you entry, or just deny ur entry! And remember bring evidence that you will be returning to Canada. Best of luck

[Sprailenes 47]

Err you should just be honest about your relationship, look at this....

http://www.visajourney.com/news/2009/02/04...-at-the-border/

That sucks for them.

[Flames9_RN 358]

And thats what one deserves for lying!!!

[Sprailenes 47]

!!!!!!!!

[Sprailenes 47]

I personally don't get nervous at the border, I was stopped and pulled into secondary once, that was a month before my interview and I was coming down to visit. Mike and I never lied about our relationship. But apparently I didn't pack enough clothes for a 3 week trip, when asked why I didn't pack a lot of clothes. I told him I planned on shopping and doing laundry.

They went through my wallet, they went through everything. I asked him why I would be so stupid as to screw up the entire K1 visa process at this point... over a year into it. He literally stopped, looked at me and agreed.

But they took us both into separate rooms and questioned us... but we had no troubles. We had nothing to hide. When you lie you get nervous and thats when things can get screwy. Like those people in that story.

But so many people skew the truth because they feel intimidated or nervous. Mike lived with me illegally in Canada for two years, I am surprised he never got caught.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Oh ouch, yeah, they did that to my boyfriend too, but at the time he had never met me, it had been the first visit. I don't know why but it seems a lot harder to get into Canada than it is to get into the United States. I found that when I, the Canadian, was returning home, they acted like they didn't want me there. THIS IS MY HOME COUNTRY DAMNIT.

But yeah, boyfriend and shopping is all I tend to say. But this one fellow during christmas asked me 30 questions about what I did. I ALWAYS get asked if I have a job, and I always say yes and where. I've never been asked to prove it though. :S

I agree with you. Nearly every time my wife went back to Canada after one of our visits where she can down to the U.S., she'd get searched by CBSA. I could see it happening once or twice, but it never fails.

As for U.S. Customs, I have two stories:

1. One time when leaving Canada when my wife and I were still visiting, the U.S. Customs officer in pre-clearance decided to give me a hard time. He started asking me questions like, "What did you spend money on?" The first response that hit my brain was: "Cocaine in the shape of maple leaves." Obviously, I didn't say that. However, the whole time I was thinking, "I'm an American citizen, so you can't deny me entry." While I wasn't rude to him, I wasn't nice either.

2. When my wife (then fiancee) and I were leaving Vancouver to go down to Houston (we were, yet again, still visiting at that time), I spoke to one really cool U.S. Customs officer. He asked why I was there and I told him. He smiled and said, "You've got a girl here? You hound dog! High-five."

I was taken off-guard, but I thought it was pretty cool. I've never seen that before and haven't since, either. Regardless, it was pretty neat. I had just hoped my wife got such an easy/cool officer. The officer she dealt with was nice, but not as friendly. She still got through.

[EmilyM 0]

hi,

I've only gone through customs once, but I've been through border checkpoints several times. When I went through customs at the airport, I said "I'm going to visit my boyfriend" and they grilled me big time, even went as far as to call him and ask if I was indeed staying with him.

so from then on, I flew from seattle, because it was only 4hrs away. and at the border checkpoint I would just say "I'm visiting friends for a few months" (which wasnt a lie, he is my best friend, and his family are my friends too) and showed them my return ticket and had no problem. I did hide my engagement ring when I came down during the k-1 process, not that it mattered. Its definitely not good to lie, so have some ties to your country and a return ticket.

My cousin was dating a guy in SC and she told the border patrol she was "staying with her boyfriend for 3 months" and they took her inside and interviewed her for 2 hours, she missed her flight. I think she didnt have enough proof, like a return ticket.

good luck!

[showjumper13 0]

I have been through Calgary 6 times in the last 9 months most recently last Thursday. I always say I am going to Albuquerque through Denver, going to see my boyfriend and I am staying x amount of days. It has always been very painless for me.

Good luck and just be confident.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I agree - tell the truth. I travelled a number of times to Atlanta by crossing the land border in Detroit on my way to the airport. I carried with me my file of evidence and included in it my copy of the I-129f petition and K-1 application. I always said I was going to Atlanta to visit my fiance for the weekend and would be back on Monday/Tuesday (whatever the date was). I was sent to secondary twice and they went through my file (and once my purse -lucky them, it is a typical woman's purse!), but in both cases when they got to the K-1 file, they took a quick look through, folded everything back up and into the folder and sent me on my way without a problem. The only time I had a problem at the border was when I crossed to go and pick my then fiance up at the airport. I didn't think to bring my folder that time so again they went through my purse and car and everything. I had the print out showing his flight itinerary with me so they let me go, but told me to report back in to them on my way back through the border with my fiance - which I did.

So, tell the truth and be prepared. The last thing you want is for them to catch you in a misrepresentation which is easy to happen if you say boyfriend and then they ask you about your plans, and it comes out you have applied for a K-1 Say fiance and carry the K-1 copy with you instead as evidence of your true intentions. It also sounds more realistic that you are going to see your fiance before he deploys if you have information about his deployment and your plans to marry when he returns. It seems unreasonable that you would remain in the US illegally when he is not there either.

[JillA 2]

Err you should just be honest about your relationship, look at this....

http://www.visajourney.com/news/2009/02/04...-at-the-border/

That sucks for them.

Oh that SUCKS!! I am too scared to lie to border people, I am a really bad lier.

[Caladan 19]

flames makes a good point. They're worried you're going to stay. If you say "personal for ten days" or "spring break" or "summer vacation before the start of the semester", and you have the return ticket to back it up, and you've already framed as "this is a trip with an endpoint."